


The High Cost of Dreams

by sanctum_c



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, Not To Be Taken Too Seriously, Out of Character, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 14:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4062826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It took Cloud longer than he would have liked, but at last; his wish is to be fulfilled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The High Cost of Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This fic is intended to parody a specific shipping argument, and Cloud is going to sound like a total jerk in this.

Cloud's mouth was dry as he took the final steps to the gushing flow of the Lifestream at Mideel. He was here, at last. It had taken months of research, tracking and interpreting clues, but now - finally - he was to have his reward. He had sacrificed so much to be here, fought so hard. Cloud had defeated Sephiroth as Meteor threatened to annihilate the world. He had fought him again when his remnants resurfaced to allow Jenova to complete her terrible mission. He had sacrificed his childhood crush, sorrow clutching at his heart as he told her truthfully that they could have no future, that he could not love her as she wanted him to. He had hurt them all that day. Marlene had screamed at him as Tifa collapsed when he told her he was leaving again and this time could not ever return. Denzel run from the building. They would be fine without him though. It had to be this way; he was merely part of a chain. After some time had passed the residents of the Seventh Heaven would realize they were so much better off without him.

Aeris had guided Denzel to him, and he in turn had delivered the orphan to Tifa to care for. Now she could be a mother without worrying about a big kid like him. Cloud smiled as he recalled his beloved's words. He would see her soon and his pain would finally end. No more would he lie awake restless and awkward at night. No more would he have to bite back responses to Tifa's shows of affection. No longer would temptation for the woman he lived with plague him. He would apologize to Aeris for even thinking like that soon enough.

He raised the flower he had taken from her church and let it fall into the pool of Lifestream. He chanted the final secret incantation, gained at no small expense from Cosmo Canyon - a necessary stealth operation given Nanaki's hostile reaction to his leaving the Seventh Heaven. They would all see soon enough though. This would be worth it. The Lifestream reacted, rippling with power, something forming up out of the glowing liquid. A soft floral scented wind enveloped him and he knew then that it had worked. His eyes closed involuntarily as he waited to be able to reach out and touch her once more, take her in his arms, kiss her passionately, allow her to live the life so cruelly taken from her.

"...Cloud..." The whisper quiet sound of her voice reached his ears. So close.

"...Cloud." He had missed her voice so, never sure if he really had heard her that day in the church when he realized deep down he had to seek her out like this. Could he open his eyes yet...?

"Cloud." He frowned. The tone was... angry? There had been a sharp edge to the voice he had never heard before, a note of frustration and impatience. Surely not; this was his flower girl. Cloud opened his eyes and beheld Aeris Gainsborough, still dressed in her pink sun-dress and red bolero jacket. She was glaring at him. Had something gone wrong? Had he summoned someone who had taken her visage? Was this yet another cruel trick of Sephiroth to dangle his beloved in front of him like this and ultimately force him to murder her? No. It had to be her. He had been so careful.

"Aeris..." he breathed, his voice quaking with fear. "...is it really you?"

"Oh, it's me alright..." Aeris narrowed her eyes and studied Cloud's face. "Pray tell me how you found out about this spell?"

"I found it in Cosmo Canyon."

"Ah, yes. Did you find it yourself or was Nanaki helping you?"

"I did it myself." An odd note of pride swelled in Cloud despite the worries. She still looked angry. Maybe awakening like this made her cranky? He tried to remember what early mornings had been like; was this an aspect of her character he was going to have to get used to?

"Interesting, interesting. Why didn't Nanaki help you?"

She must know all this already? But he didn't want to trample on her nerves and annoy her. "Nanaki... wasn't happy that I had to leave Tifa to do this." He almost stumbled over the words. They felt awkward and harsh in his mouth.

"You left Tifa?" Her eyes widened. "Please, tell me, how is Tifa?"

"S-she's fine." Would be fine. "She was upset when I left her, but she'll bounce back. She always does," Cloud frowned.

"Oh good. How did Marlene take the news?"

Cloud felt nervous now, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "She... didn't take it well. But she's strong." He winced, the words seeming callous. This was all so wrong. Why did he feel so bad.

"Yes. Yes Marlene is strong. For seven." There was a strange emphasis on the last word and Cloud tried to escape her gaze. Aeris continued. "And Denzel?"

"Well... he was angry, but I figured he'd understand."

"And why is that?"

Something in the back of Cloud's head was nervous about her tone. Trying to explain cranky in the morning was one thing, but a worrying calm barely masking absurdly angry was a somewhat different attitude. Cloud tried to push the thoughts away. She was back. The rest did not matter.

"Well, you lead him to me, I took him back to the Seventh Heaven so he could be with Tifa and Marlene. I just helped get him going to his new family."

"You 'helped him get going to his new family'? That's what you think was the reason I guided him to you?" Aeris asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, of course."

"Care to explain how that makes sense? That I would make the effort to delivery an orphaned child to you, knowing you would take care of him, and he would help bind your family together, that you would be a role model to a child badly in need of parents, only for you to provide an astonishingly poor display of parenting by leaving him, his sister and their sobbing mother behind while you came here?"

Cloud wished she had not asked that. He fastened onto a inconsistency. "I... never said she was sobbing."

"Quite," Aeris snapped."I on the other-hand, know that she was." This had to be a test. He had to truly prove himself to her. Aeris spoke up again before he could answer, her lips thin. "So Cloud, why did you come here and why did you enact this spell?"

"Isn't it obvious? I love you. You love me. We were always destined to be together. Even death cannot keep us apart."

Cloud trembled now the words were out. He had finally confessed, something he had been unable to do even while in the Lifestream, even while living in the church. Now she knew. Abruptly Aeris smiled and Cloud felt the weight in his chest lift. He had been right all along.

"Cloud..."

"Aeris..."

"You're a fool."

"You're- Wait, what? Ow!" Aeris had brought her staff down on top of Cloud's head with horrible force, the clunk reverberating within his skull.

"You absolute wretch!" she screeched. Cloud dropped backwards onto the ground, one hand clutching his head in pain as he stared up at the disheveled Cetra. Her face was flushed and her teeth clenched. As their gazes met she brought her staff down on him again, catching the fingers cradling his head. "'Destined to be together?!'" she screamed. "You knew me a little over two weeks!"

Cloud tried to protest. "Time doesn't matter with love-"

"Shut up!" she roared. Again the staff struck his head. Cloud's head began to ache. Another thwack. He braced himself for another and when none came, opened his eyes with care. Aeris was smoothing her hair and dress. She took a deep breath. "Cloud, I really hate to have to tell you this, but somehow you have misinterpreted almost everything I have ever told you!" Her voice had started calm and risen as she spoke.

"W-what do you mean?"

Aeris sighed. "I mean; I never wanted you to mourn me. I never wanted you to dwell on the past. I wanted you to move on and live."

"But you said you'd come back... I just thought I should speed things up..."

She moved before he could see and the staff came down on the other side of his head. "I said I was going to come back as I didn't think I was going to die! Have you been suffering under the delusion I sacrificed myself for you? You certainly have a high opinion of yourself!"

Cloud's head throbbed from the staff blows and he tried to get a grip on what was happening. This brutish figure who was busily beating him with a metal staff could not possibly be the dear sweet Aeris he once new and loved. Damn; his sword was back on Fenrir. If he could just get to it, he could defeat this impostor. He tried to edge backwards, rewarded with another blow to the head.

"Don't you move a muscle." She stared at him. "So in summary of recent events; you have broken the heart of your childhood friend. You have acted callously towards your adoptive daughter and you have decided that the parenting you thought I implicitly asked you to do was not your job. On top of that you betrayed the trust of a cherished friend and ran away to practice necromancy. No!" She jabbed a finger towards him as Cloud's lips parted to speak. "You do not get to talk to me again. Not for a while. And not ever if you don't start behaving with a semblance of morality."

She paused and drew in a breath. "Cloud. I am honestly flattered that you feel that way about me. Or rather I would be if it didn't come at this cost. As it stands I could not accept your feelings. Even had you somehow magically left your friends and family in absolute bliss I could not accept these feelings. I have returned to the Planet - I no longer walk on its surface and I am no longer among the living. Your resurrection was an astonishingly rare gift granted by the Planet at tremendous cost - and not an action to be repeated often. Sephiroth damaged the Lifestream with his rebirth. If you must continue to love me then realize that I cannot return your feelings." She paused and glanced away. "I considered Tifa the embodiment of all my desire for you. Yes, I did once care for you. Now I really must wonder why I ever did."

She wet her lips a moment as she turned back to stare at him. "While I cannot dictate your actions, you should think very seriously about what you do from now on until you return to the Planet. As I will be waiting, and if I am still unhappy when the time comes then you will not enjoy joining the Lifestream one bit." She drew herself up and jabbed a finger at him again. "I now charge you with fixing your mistakes. It will not be easy. It will not be quick. It is in fact going to be much harder then you might think it will be. But. You are to apologize properly to Tifa. You are to prove to Marlene that you care about her. And you are to be a father to Denzel. And you will apologize and serve a penance to Nanaki. I leave it to your seemingly flawed judgement whether or not you want to even try and have something more with Tifa - I would hope she would have serious doubts after this display."

She turned on her heel and spoke her last words over her shoulder. "Goodbye for now Cloud. Remember that I will be waiting for you. I had better have a higher opinion of you when we next meet."

Her image wavered and vanished. Cloud groaned, clutching his aching head. At least the physical pain was over. Something smashed into his head from behind, sprawling him forwards. He rolled over awkwardly and stared up at his new assailant. Zack Fair stood over him, punching a fist into his open hand.

"Sorry pal. She thought you'd suffered enough, but I'm not sure I can accept that just yet. This is going to hurt you a lot more then it hurts me..."

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in response to something but I have forgotten just what. It has been hanging around my draft fics for over a year now. I've never liked the _Compilation_ timeline or believed that Cloud was correct in his estimation of how Denzel met him.


End file.
